The Cholesterol Myth

Summary: Contrary to popular belief, cutting cholesterol is not the best way to protect yourself from heart disease.

Air Date: 9/25/14

Duration: 10

Host: Mike Smith, MD

Guest Bio: Stephen T. Sinatra, MD

Dr. Stephen T. Sinatra is a board-certified cardiologist. He is also an Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine in Farmington, Connecticut and a Clinical Assistant Professor of Family Medicine at the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine in Biddeford, Maine.

Certified as a bioenergetic psychotherapist, and nutrition and anti-aging specialist, Dr. Sinatra integrates psychological, nutraceutical and electroceutical therapies in the matrix of healing.

He is the founder of www.heartmdinstitute.com, an informational website dedicated to promoting public awareness of integrative medicine. Dr. Sinatra is a fellow in the American College of Cardiology and the American College of Nutrition.

He was former Chief of Cardiology (8 years) and Director of Medical Education (19 years) at Manchester Memorial Hospital in Manchester, CT.

Dr. Sinatra's latest book, The Great Cholesterol Myth Cookbook was released in November 2013.He has written sixteen books including The Great Cholesterol Myth, The Sinatra Solution/Metabolic Cardiology and Earthing: The Most Important Health Discovery Ever. Dr. Sinatra's research on Metabolic Cardiology and Grounding's beneficial relationship to blood thinning were his greatest contributions to health and healing.

Dr. Sinatra has also appeared on many TV shows including Dr. Oz, The Doctors, The Today Show and Your Health TV.

Your body needs cholesterol in order to create a healthy balance of cell membranes and hormones that help you function. However, having bad cholesterol (LDL) can cause an unhealthy build-up of plaque in your arteries.

In the mid to late 1980s, young doctors throughout American medical schools were being taught that statin medications would cure heart disease. Big Pharma was promoting high cholesterol as the primary risk factor for heart disease and the drug manufacturers' new medicines as the cure.

Fast forward to 2014 where, despite billions of dollars in profits and millions of statin prescriptions, heart disease remains our number one killer.

Is there a new way to test your cholesterol levels to help indicate if you're staying within a healthy range?

The old testing for cholesterol was taking a look at your total cholesterol (HDL, LDL, Triglycerides). Today, doctors now have the ability to dissect each type of cholesterol. This allows your doctor to evaluate each type of cholesterol individually so you can know if you're at risk for potential health problems.

With all this new knowledge at had, is cholesterol still considered to be the main risk factor for heart disease?

Dr. Stephen Sinatra joins Dr. Mike to discuss and bust the cholesterol myth you've been made to believe for years.